Meyer Lemon Tea Cake With Blueberry Compote
Makes 2 9-inch round cakes, serves 14 to 16
From Rebecca Rader, pastry chef and owner of Frascati restaurant. She serves these cakes in individual portions, but if you don't have several small cake molds, it's fine to make this in two rounds. If you can't get Meyer lemons, use regular Eureka lemons.
- The lemon cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup grated Meyer lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- The soak:
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- The frosting:
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- The blueberry compote:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon butter
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans or set aside two non-stick round pans.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the lemon zest and honey, and beat quickly to combine.
In another bowl, combine the cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the cream mixture, in three additions, scraping down the sides as you go.
Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, smoothing the top. Bake until the top springs back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Let stand for about 10 minutes; remove cake from pans onto a parchment-lined pan or other surface.
To make the soak: Heat the lemon juice and the sugar in a small saucepan until sugar is fully dissolved.
Using a skewer, poke several holes in the tops of the two cakes. Spoon the lemon-sugar mixture evenly over the two cakes, letting it soak into the still-warm cake.
To make the frosting: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Pour over the powdered sugar, whisking constantly until smooth. If too thick, add a little water or more lemon juice to achieve a pourable consistency.
When cake has cooled slightly, drizzle the icing over the tops, letting it run down the sides.
To make the compote: Combine 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries with the sugar and vanilla in a saucepan. Add just enough water to moisten the sugar; it should look sandy.
Cook over medium-low heat, until the blueberries start to break down, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the cornstarch slurry and let simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries and the butter.
To serve: Serve the cake in wedges with the compote spooned over the top.
Per serving: 507 calories, 5 g protein, 77 g carbohydrate, 21 g fat (13 g saturated), 111 mg cholesterol, 212 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.
